An Inspired Chat with Nicholas Newell of Tucker

We recently had the chance to connect with Nicholas Newell and have shared our conversation below.

Nicholas, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
Metaphysical work means that every part of my life must be integrated into what I have to offer others. A clear vision of the path that I’m on, and the dramas that have led me here is a big part of the package. I’ve traveled from a world of codified beliefs where people were condemned for asking questions, to a world of spirit where every question is important. My path has become a welcoming one that can embrace more perspectives and more directions.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Nick Newell of Newell Tarot. I perform comprehensive tarot readings that provide a wealth of knowledge and experience. I also organize events for readers and spiritualists of many kinds to offer their talents. I am committed to making spiritual dialogue a comfortable source of grounding for practical people.

Currently, I’m hosting psychic fairs in Athens, GA, under contract with Llewellyn Worldwide for a book on reading older tarot decks, and expanding my online clientele for readings. I’m also hosting conversations on healthy masculinity and tarot meditations.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child I felt fully ignored. For instance, I wrote half of a science fiction novel at age seven, and gave up because I couldn’t get any adults to give me an opinion on it. I was constantly working to make the people around me happier, only to watch them choose misery and stagnation over and over. A feeling that I couldn’t help anyone, or create anything that mattered hung over my need to express myself.

Coming to feel acceptance as I pursued my MA in Religious Studies made a huge difference to who I felt I could be. People enjoyed my ideas, would discuss them without prompting. I was offered opportunities to lead and organize student organizations. Even after that, I had to learn that it wasn’t so much my ideas that mattered to others. What I have to offer is a passion for connection, and the ability to keep the lines of communication open even when tensions arise.

I don’t lead with pure creativity today because I want the information to lead back to things that are bigger than me. As I translate the traditions that have helped me for future generations, I hope that when people engage with my work, they will find more than just myself. Thanks to the loving people who saw someone who would work hard for healthy connections, I’m watching this work pay off in big ways for my clients and fellow practitioners.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
We all face challenges and prompts to change. We suffer when we feel unequipped to take on those changes, or when we fight them outright. I’ve suffered most when I’ve forced circumstances to be what I expected them to be, and resisted the flow of life around me. I wanted romantic partners and employers to behave in ways that didn’t reflect their ability, perspective, or agency. I’ve mostly suffered because I assumed that others would meet unreasonable expectations. When those assumptions had no grounding in reality, I found myself without a safety net.

I had to learn to be flexible, because I kept aiming myself toward dead-ends that I couldn’t see. It didn’t matter how hard I worked, or how clear my vision was, those dead-ends were not going to open into my next step forward. I could force situations become just what I wanted, but that would leave me stuck holding those situations together.

Assessing the flow of situations and meeting people where they are had to be bashed into me. Thanks to those struggles, I’m much more careful about committing to the right communities and work. I’m honest about my vision, and that makes it easy to connect with people who are excited to share it and blend their passions with my own.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest smokescreen I see in the metaphysical industry is the idea that it doesn’t matter where your knowledge or tools come from, as long as you catch some vibes from them. Healthy magic connects us, unhealthy magic isolates us. And like honesty, magic can be used as a brutal weapon or a path to healing.

Tools and ideas that trace their foundations to disruptive cultures that siphon power to certain individuals or communities and leave others without agency or knowledge are unhealthy. A desire to follow fads and relate every aspect of culture to our spiritual life clouds our ability to distinguish what improves community and what serves ego. There is a constant temptation among metaphysical merchants and practitioners to aim for the broadest common denominator in the market. Doing so dilutes the usefulness of spiritual work, creating cultures where people redecorate instead of finding personal transformation in their practice.

Healthy sources of spiritual energy are real, practical features of our environment. Leaders and merchants in spiritual movements need to invite others to enjoy and attune to the spiritual energies available in the world. Ideas and tools that come from uplifting, approachable sources of joy and community. We have the opportunity to do much more than moving money around, we have a blissful chance to reinvigorate the communities that make life comfortable.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I love tarot, and have helped countless people with it. I expect that most people who remember my professional life will think of me as a great tarot reader. It’s a lovely legacy to leave.

However, for those who come to me to commit to living their best magical life will find more depth in my work. In addition to tarot, I provide magical services like sigil making and spirit communication. I enjoy helping people get in touch with their ancestors and learn more about the purpose they have inherited through their family. I hope that the people I work closest with will remember me as someone who helped them take the hard steps to real transformation. The hidden legacy is one of bringing gentleness to the hardest things that people will have to do.

On the surface, I am promoting the oldest tarot decks as divinatory tools. Some specialists will use my voice as an example of how to bridge the gap between modern beliefs and complex spiritual histories. The real legacy will always be in the personal connection and growth I bring to my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://newelltarot.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newelltarot/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NewellTarot

Image Credits
Headshot by Katherine Shambach